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Prior to 1840 there were no land titles in Hawaii. The society was feudalistic and all land belonged to the king. Under this system land allotments could be taken away at any time. The transitional period from this approach was called the "Great Mahele" of 1848, which provided the way for the acquirement of real estate by individuals. The Board of Commissioners to Quiet Land Titles was established in 1845, when, by decision of the king and the chiefs, the king was given his own property, and the remainder began to be divided equally between the government, the chiefs, and the tenants. This land commission went to the various islands to meet people and prepare them for awarding of their claims. This involved a hearing and taking of testimony in connection with nearly 12,000 individual claims. An index to these claims and the Hawaiian terms used in the claims is found in the volume entitled Indices of Award Made by The Board of Commissioners To Quiet Land Titles in the Hawaiian Islands by the Office of the Commissioner of Public Lands of the Territory of Hawaii (Honolulu: Territorial Office Building, 1929). These claims cover the period 1848 to 1852 and are extremely valuable to native Hawaiians for the genealogical material contained in the actual records. The Bureau of Conveyances, 403 Queen Street, Honolulu, HI 96813 has records of the original royal patents and the records of the "Great Mahele" of 1848. These records are for all islands, and, since transfers were often made between parents and children or grandparents, statements of relationship are often included. Many of these records have been microfilmed and are on file at the FHL in Salt Lake City and the Hawaii State Archives.

The state archive has a "land file" of letters and documents dating from the 1830s, regardless of the office concerned. The "land file" covers the period of 1830 to 1900, is filed chronologically, and is one of the most completely translated and indexed group of records in the archives. This collection consists of letters addressed to the Commission to Quiet Land Titles, award books, testimony, and registers of the land documents. The Department of Land and Natural Resources, 1151 Punchbowl Street, Honolulu, HI 96813, has many early land records of Hawaii. These are also on microfilm in Salt Lake City at the FHL.

Department of Land and Natural Resources
1151 Punchbowl Street
Honolulu, HI 96813

Registrar of Bureau of Conveyances
403 Queen Street
Honolulu, Hawaii 96813

Hawaiian Historical Society
560 Kawaiahao Street
Honolulu, HI 96813
(808) 537-6271

Hawaii County
25 Aupuni St., Room 209
Hilo, HI 96720-4252
Telephone: (808) 961-8255

Honolulu County
Honolulu County Clerk
City Hall
Honolulu, HI 96813-3014
Telephone: (808) 586-4533

Kauai County
Kauai County Clerk
4396 Rice Street
Lihue, HI 96766-1337
Telephone: (808) 246-3330

Maui County
Maui County Office of the County Clerk
200 S. High St.
Wailuku, HI 96793-2155
Telephone: (808) 243-7825